interrogative
/ˌɪn.təˈrɒɡ.ə.tɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪn.t̬əˈrɑː.ɡə.t̬ɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-tə-ˈrä-gə-tiv/ (ame, mw) · /ˌɪntəˈrɒɡətɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪntəˈrɑːɡətɪv/ (ame, ipa)
interrogative — noun
- interrogativesingular
- interrogativesplural
1. A word or group of words that is used to ask a question — for example 'who', 'wh
A word or group of words that is used to ask a question — for example 'who', 'what', 'why', 'where', 'when', or 'how'.
When learning French, Amara practised using interrogatives like 'qui' and 'quoi' in her sentences.
countable noun: interrogatives like [example]
The teacher asked the class to find the interrogative in 'Where did you put the keys?'.
find / identify + the interrogative
In Mandarin, adding the particle 'ma' at the end of a statement turns it into an interrogative.
Most English interrogatives start with the letters 'wh-', such as 'when' and 'which'.
- question word
more common in classroom teaching; covers only single-word question words, not whole phrases or sentences
- wh-word
narrower — refers only to words beginning with 'wh-' (who, what, where, when, why, which)
- query
less technical; can also refer to a whole question rather than a grammatical category
用法筆記
Countable. This sense covers single words ('who', 'what'), multi-word phrases ('how many'), and whole sentences ('Are you ready?'). In grammar textbooks, single-word interrogatives are often called 'question words'.
常見錯誤
2. The grammatical structure of a sentence that asks a question, often formed by pl
The grammatical structure of a sentence that asks a question, often formed by placing an auxiliary verb before the subject or by using a question word at the start.
To change a statement into the interrogative, you usually move the auxiliary verb before the subject.
change [statement] into the interrogative
Rosa's essay compared the word order of the interrogative in Spanish and in English.
word order of the interrogative
In Japanese, the interrogative does not require any change in word order — the speaker simply raises the pitch at the end.
The quiz asked students to convert each declarative sentence to the interrogative.
- question form
less formal; commonly used in ESL/EFL teaching contexts
- interrogative mood
more technical; refers specifically to the grammatical mood category in some languages
- declarative
a sentence that makes a statement rather than asking a question
- imperative
a sentence that gives a command or request
用法筆記
Used with the definite article: 'the interrogative'. Frequently appears in grammar exercises comparing sentence types (declarative, interrogative, imperative).
常見錯誤
interrogative — adjective
- interrogativepositive
- more interrogativecomparative
- most interrogativesuperlative
1. Describes a word, phrase, or grammatical structure that is used in asking a ques
Describes a word, phrase, or grammatical structure that is used in asking a question or that has the form of a question rather than a statement or command.
The children learned to identify common interrogative words such as 'who', 'what', and 'where'.
interrogative words: who / what / where
'Are you coming to the party?' is an interrogative sentence because it asks a question.
interrogative sentence
Hana explained the difference between declarative and interrogative clauses to her study group.
The exercise asks students to add a question mark at the end of each interrogative statement.
In some languages, an interrogative pronoun like 'who' changes its form depending on whether it is the subject or the object.
- questioning
broader — used for both grammatical forms and personal demeanour; less technical
- interrogatory
formal; often used in legal or official contexts
- declarative
describes a sentence that makes a statement
- affirmative
describes a positive statement, not a question
用法筆記
Always attributive (before a noun). Common noun partners include 'sentence', 'word', 'pronoun', 'adverb', 'clause', and 'form'. Do not confuse with the personality-describing meaning of 'questioning'.